North Texas Daily

As a result of Joe Greene Hall’s opening this fall, Traditions Hall will become exclusive to upperclassmen at the same time.

Joe Greene Hall will create a surplus of bed spaces for freshmen residents, with a capacity of 500 students, diminishing the need for halls like Traditions to be available to freshmen.

“Shifting where freshmen live on campus to the new residence hall meant we figure those who would be filling those Traditions bed spaces would be upperclassmen,” Associate Director for Housing James Fairchild said. “Our department did a housing master plan with an external consultant and just information that’s shared amongst other institutions and housing departments says that it’s a good recommendation that freshmen have a roommate and single-occupancy options be left for upperclassmen.”

The hall was built in 2003 and offered single and double-occupancy rooms to all classes. Traditions hall was the only hall offering single-occupancy rooms to freshmen.

“We have the ability to put freshman that have a documented need, like medical reasons, into a single-occupancy room, but just open access for students to select that for this year and for future years — I would imagine we probably won’t go back in that direction,” Fairchild said. “It met students needs at the time and is definitely still popular among first-year students, but the university recognizes it’s not a bad thing for students to have that roommate experience their first year.”

Despite freshman not having access to individual rooms anymore, a new “pod-style” room is going to be available in Joe Greene Hall.

“Unlike other primarily-freshman residence halls on campus that are designed around a double-double suite with a shared restroom, Joe Greene Hall has double living units [rooms] that share a pod of restrooms and sinks that are individual and securable, but shared by the pod of living units that surround them,” Associate Director of Design Janna Morgan wrote in an email. “These restrooms provide improved security and a higher restroom to student ratio than the traditional double-double suites.”

Morgan said the building also provides “ample lounges, studies and amenities,” like a shared kitchen, large laundry room and more to further foster an environment that is collaborative and engaging.

With the change, some current freshmen are looking forward to living in Traditions again after it becomes an upperclassmen-only hall.

Criminal justice freshman Mei Gainey said she is hoping it stays the same.

“It’s really comfortable, quiet, easy to study in and it’s nice to have my own room,” Gainey said. “I also kind of like [the change] because my sister is supposed to come here next year and we probably would’ve been living in the same hall.”

Fairchild said there is a ratio of about 65 percent freshmen compared to 35 percent upperclassmen living on campus. With new options becoming available to upperclassmen, housing is looking to have more upperclassmen consider on-campus housing.

“Our hope is to attract some more upperclassmen and for students to continue to stay on campus for their second year, their third year, and beyond,” Fairchild said. “We’ve had wait lists for upperclassmen for several years because freshmen are required to live on campus, so we go to pretty extensive lengths to house freshman — even someone who applies on move-in day. We probably figure we’re going to increase our ability to house upperclassmen by about 450 students.”

Featured Image: Traditions hall, built in 2003, is currently a residence hall housing freshman. Next year, 2019-2020, it will only be open for upperclassmen, no longer allowing freshman to live in the residence hall. Image by: Isabel Anes.